Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000399
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01:29 My hope is built on nothing less
01:36 Than Jesus' blood and righteousness 01:45 No merit of my own I claim 01:51 But wholly lean on Jesus' name 01:59 On Christ, the solid rock, I stand 02:05 All other ground is sinking sand 02:19 When darkness veils his lovely face 02:25 I rest on his unchanging grace 02:31 In every high and story gale 02:38 My anchor holds within the veil 02:44 On Christ, the solid rock, I stand 02:50 All other ground is sinking sand 03:04 His oath, his covenant, his blood 03:10 Sustain me in the raging flood 03:16 When all supports are washed away 03:23 He then is all my hope and stay 03:30 On Christ, the solid rock, I stand 03:37 All other ground is sinking sand 04:14 When he shall come with trumpet sound 04:21 Oh, may I then in him be found 04:28 Clothed in his righteousness alone 04:34 Redeemed to stand before the throne 04:41 On Christ, the solid rock, I stand 04:47 All other ground is sinking sand 05:06 Amen. Amen. 05:18 The Bible predicted a time, a time like ours 05:22 when the world would be 05:23 plummeting toward its final destiny. 05:26 Nature thrown out of her course, some of the worst fires 05:30 and natural disasters ever recorded in history 05:33 with violence and crimes spreading 05:35 like a cancer in the big cities. 05:38 And the passions of men spilling over into the global conflicts 05:41 that seem to involve every nation on earth. 05:44 Now, it's the time to broadcast, to witness, 05:49 to train, to evangelize. 05:57 In 2002, Pastor Doug Batchelor presented 06:00 Visions for Life in Cameroon, Central Africa. 06:04 His 24 night series was held in the city of Yaoundé. 06:08 The program was broadcasted in 24 languages 06:11 and reached more than 30 countries. 06:14 Five thousand people were baptized in Cameroon alone. 06:17 There were 1,600 downlink sites on the continent of Africa 06:21 and many countries participated 06:23 in the 'Visions for Life' satellite evangelistic effort. 06:27 So in these seminars, we're presenting Jesus. 06:30 We're talking about Jesus as the resurrection in the life. 06:32 Jesus as the Savior of your will. 06:34 Jesus as the theme of Bible prophecy. 06:37 Jesus as the soon coming king. 06:40 Jesus as our a mediator between us and God. 06:44 People are meeting Jesus. 06:45 People are becoming one with Jesus. 06:46 They're being changed by Jesus. 06:50 That's gonna continue to happen as long as 06:52 we have breath to proclaim His message. 06:54 Ah, I will tell you about a friend of mine name Tim. 06:58 Ah, he learned some things from the Bible, 07:01 he started watching some television programming 07:04 and he started watching Doug Batchelor 07:06 in the Millennium of Prophecy. 07:09 He woke up one Saturday morning and he said, 07:14 okay, I know it's the Sabbath, I'm going to church today. 07:18 Now, you understand that as when I prayed this prayer, 07:22 I don't have a clue where a Sabbath keeping church is 07:25 and I'm in Sacramento. 07:27 I'm, you know, as I was going I said, 07:28 Lord, I'm going to church 07:30 and You're going to just have to direct me where to go. 07:34 I noticed a neighbor was backing out of their driveway. 07:41 A man and his wife and they were dressed in nice clothes. 07:45 Now I don't know where they're going, 07:48 but I was impressed to follow them. 07:51 So I mean this is like a ten mile trip 07:55 and I'm going, you know where are this people going, 07:58 they were a long ways from my house now. 08:01 They pulled half of the freeway 08:02 and into a school parking lot. 08:07 And I felt impressed to keep following them. 08:10 So I got out of my car, they went into there, 08:14 school there and went into a auditorium 08:16 and I was right behind them. 08:17 And lo and behold, when I walked into the auditorium, 08:20 there was a Seventh-day Adventist Church meeting 08:22 in the school auditorium. 08:24 So it was a very first time 08:27 that I had ever attended church on Sabbath. 08:32 Amazing Facts, 08:33 employees 12 evangelists like John Bradshaw. 08:36 Their combined efforts last year brought in 15,000 souls. 08:40 The Amazing Facts has over 65,000 people 08:44 enrolled in the Bible school. 08:46 All of the materials used for the Bible school 08:49 are made available free to the thousands 08:51 seeking to understand God's word. 08:55 More than 110,000 people visit 08:57 Amazing Facts websites each month. 09:00 The website provide a vast resource 09:03 for the searching heart. 09:07 Go as because I wanted to 09:09 know the Bible better and I had this desire to, 09:13 wanna share my faith with people, 09:14 but I didn't know how? 09:15 I wanted to know the how. 09:17 AFCO was an incredible experience. 09:20 I learned how to deal with, how to work with people, 09:24 how to share my faith, 09:25 how to be able to reach the heart 09:27 and it was an experience that just completely 09:29 changed my own life. 09:31 The teachers at AFCO are wonderful. 09:34 They're funny, they're down to earth 09:36 but they're, I mean they're spiritual, 09:39 very, very spiritual people. 09:41 Amazing Facts College of Evangelism 09:44 or AFCO offers a four months, a two week condensed program, 09:48 a one month introductory Bible worker program 09:51 and a six week youth in action literature evangelism course. 09:59 It's interesting because my husband and I 10:01 are always, you know, asking the Lord 10:03 to show us ways to, to witness to people. 10:07 I was introduced to Amazing Facts by Kimberly. 10:10 She came through, I work at Ballard 10:12 and she had come to my line 10:15 and I noticed that she ate very well. 10:18 She grabbed some of my eggplant 10:20 and holds it up and says how do you cook this? 10:23 And I said well, since I'm vegetarian 10:25 this is the way I do it. 10:26 And she immediately says, 10:29 oh my word, I've been wanting to learn how to cook vegetarian. 10:32 It was interesting from the very beginning, 10:34 Shawna was like, 10:35 well,I don't know if I believe in God. 10:37 It's a personal being that loves me 10:38 that I just have such a different perspective, 10:41 it's like, it just bring tears in my eyes, 10:43 I know that there is God up there 10:46 who loves each and everyone of us, 10:47 He wants to save us. 10:48 So we really found we needed some tools 10:51 and the Millennium of Prophecy video site from Amazing Facts, 10:56 was an excellent tool in guiding Shawna and David. 10:59 And actually I'm, my husband and I 11:01 are getting baptized next week, next Saturday. 11:05 We're so excited like I never went. 11:13 It's about 23 years, abusing, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, 11:18 and about anything I could put into my body, I abused. 11:22 Ah, well, I was a drug addict for 25 years 11:26 and I found myself in three time felon back in jail 11:29 again with weapons charges 11:31 and facing state prison time and ended up that, 11:37 the last time I went into prison, 11:38 I realized that if I didn't stop using, 11:41 I was gonna die. 11:43 And we were clean and sober 11:45 and we had a little 19 inch or 13 inch T.V. 11:48 with rabbit ears, soon he started 11:49 flipping the channels and lo and behold, 11:51 channel 27 came on 11:53 and it was Pastor Doug Batchelor. 11:55 We're having trouble understanding the Bible 11:57 because everything was hard to read 11:59 and the words were hard to pronounce 12:01 but we'd have a question we turned the T.V. on 12:04 that night and he would answer the question 12:06 whether it would be on Sabbath or tithing 12:08 or State of the Dead and we knew that it was the truth. 12:12 We knew that he was speaking from the Bible, 12:13 and the Bible only. 12:14 And one day I walked into Taco Bell 12:17 and there was Pastor Doug 12:19 and so I walked up to him and I asked him 12:21 if he was the man on T.V. and he said yes he was 12:23 and so I told him a little about our testimony. 12:26 And he ran out to his car and he got a book 12:29 and invited us to church. 12:31 And it was Pastor Doug, he said, how you guys are doing? 12:33 And I said Pastor Doug, I just quit smoking. 12:35 So we know it's time to get baptized. 12:37 Millions of viewers like Rich and Susan have the opportunity 12:40 to hear the word of God, pure, simple and Christ centered. 12:44 The Millennium of Prophecy series is broadcast 12:47 on 12 networks in the U.S., Asia, 12:49 the Middle East and Russia and 210 T.V. stations in the U.S. 12:55 Every Sunday evening, Pastor Doug Batchelor presents 12:59 Bible answers live, a nationwide call in program. 13:03 Over 150 radio stations in the U.S. carry the program, 13:07 enabling people to learn 13:08 many wonderful truths from God's word. 13:11 Your involvement in this ministry 13:13 will make a difference to people all over the world. 13:16 We solicit your prayers for God's guidance in the future. 13:20 Now, it's the time. 13:28 We introduced Pastor Batchelor, 13:30 Doug Batchelor last night to our camp meeting pulpit 13:34 and we welcome him again this morning. 13:36 May God bless you as the Holy Spirit 13:38 speaks to us through you. 13:48 Thank you. God bless happy Sabbath. 13:53 It's a privilege to be with you and where is Mrs. Batchelor. 14:00 Oh, you got up front, God bless you heart, 14:03 thank you, dear. 14:05 I appreciate that, she usually signals me 14:07 while I'm preaching and when she was way back there, 14:09 I couldn't get my signals. 14:12 The signals are something like, or she is, 14:22 I get this one a lot. 14:26 Am I right? 14:28 So I couldn't see my signals last night. 14:33 You know, I felt impressed just a few minutes ago 14:35 while we're sitting on the platform. 14:37 I've been praying about what to share with you. 14:40 you know, I'm used to doing evangelistic meetings 14:42 where I have 36 opportunities to tell you 14:45 what I wanna tell you 14:46 but when I have these three messages, 14:49 it's very precious and I really pray about 14:51 what to say and I pray God will guide me 14:53 because everyone's needs are different 14:56 and I just wanted to be the most fruitful for you. 15:00 I wanna talk to you very simply this morning about the Gospel. 15:03 And as a catalyst to do that, 15:05 I'm going to ask you to turn in your Bibles 15:08 to the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 10, 15:13 I will be going to verse 25, 15:18 as you're finding your way there, 15:20 I would like to just pray one more time 15:22 if that would be okay. 15:27 Oh, mighty God, during this Holy Sabbath day, 15:31 we now in a very special sense, want to focus our minds 15:37 and tune in to the voice of the Holy Spirit 15:41 speaking through the Holy Bible. 15:43 Lord, I pray that You'll speak to our hearts. 15:45 We're here now, are watching by virtue of Your providence 15:50 and I ask that there'll be a fruit 15:53 that will be born in our lives as a result of 15:54 what we hear that will help us better reflect Jesus. 15:58 In his name we pray, amen. 16:02 The Gospel of Luke is probably the favorite Gospel 16:06 for me of the four. 16:07 You know, most people if you ask them, 16:09 they would say John is their favorite Gospel. 16:11 Well, I'll ask you, how many of your favorite Gospel is John? 16:14 Gospel of John? Anyone vote for Matthew? 16:18 Lots of Matthew's out there. Mark? 16:22 Mark's fast moving Gospel. 16:23 Luke? Oh, few are with me. 16:26 It's kind of odd that I'm Jewish 16:28 and my favorite Gospel is the one written by the Gentile. 16:30 But I really enjoy the Gospel of Luke 16:33 because it's so precious, there's a number of stories 16:36 you find in Luke, you don't find anywhere else. 16:38 You of course find the story of the lost son, prodigal son. 16:42 You find the story of Zacchaeus and number of other parables 16:46 the Lost Sheep and this another example, 16:49 the parable of the Good Samaritan, 16:50 where would we be without this wonderful story 16:53 that helps us to understand the plan of Salvation. 16:59 Jesus is going through one of his dialogues 17:02 with some of the religious leaders and the lawyers. 17:04 And in verse 25 that tells us 17:06 a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, 17:10 saying teacher what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 17:15 That's a big question. Can you imagine? 17:20 Just think about it. 17:22 We have the opportunity to live forever. 17:27 Have you ever really thought about that? 17:29 That this life is simply the launching pad for eternity. 17:35 And how you position yourself in this life will determine 17:37 your orbit forever and ever. 17:41 Eternal life or eternal death? Those are our choices. 17:46 He that has the son has life, do you have eternal life? 17:51 Whoever believes in him shall not perish. 17:54 What a wonderful promise, the gift of God is eternal life, 17:57 penalty for sin is death, 17:58 but the gift of God, eternal life. 18:03 Not in a world like this, 18:04 you know, we only think we can relate to is this life, 18:06 but the Bible says you can't imagine what that's like. 18:11 Someone tried to illustrate one time what eternity was like? 18:14 I have heard a lot of creative ideas. 18:16 Imagine a sparrow lands on half a dome in your cemetery, 18:23 that great big granite boulder, mountain, granite mountain 18:27 and he sharpens his beak once every thousand years, 18:30 a sparrow lands on that granite half dome mountain 18:35 sharpens his beak. 18:38 When that mountain has worn away 18:41 from a sparrow sharpening his beak 18:43 once every thousand years, ternity will have just began. 18:49 Isn't that right? 18:51 Because eternity never ends, 18:52 you never get off the starting line. 18:56 Do you want eternal life? 18:59 You know the Bible says it's not like this life, 19:01 at His right hand are pleasures forever more, 19:04 bliss, joy, happiness, no more tears, no more pain. 19:09 You'll able to see like an eagle, 19:14 hear like an elephant, smell like a Basset Hound, right? 19:19 Could be taken two ways. You can't imagine it. 19:24 You know, I think that if we had more assurance 19:28 that we have life we would be better soul winners. 19:32 If we really believe that we're going to live forever 19:36 and be with Jesus in glory, in bliss forever, 19:40 I think we'd be happier. 19:43 But you know Seventh-day Adventists, 19:45 because we have been carefully trained not to say 19:47 I'm saved or rightly so, we think that means 19:51 we cannot have assurance. 19:54 And why we should not brag that we have arrived, 19:57 I think God wants us to have a joy 19:59 and an assurance that He 20:01 that He's began a good work in us will perform it. 20:03 He's the author and the finisher of our faith. 20:06 And if you have faith in God and if you got everlasting life, 20:11 that ought to give you a joy and confidence, 20:13 that's contagious. 20:15 Christians ought to have more zip in their hip 20:18 and pep in their step and spunk in their trunk 20:21 and maybe a little less fanatic in the attic, right? 20:28 And if we've got this joy and this assurance 20:31 and this confidence, it's contagious. 20:35 You know, we'll just be going from one person 20:36 to the next and telling them about 20:38 what the Lord has done for us. 20:41 Its like a man in New York city who had this eye surgery, 20:45 he was virtually blind, he went to an eye doctor 20:47 that not only restored his sight 20:49 but gave him 20-20 after years of being blind, 20:52 having that peeled away. 20:53 Can you imagine what that's like? 20:55 A few years ago, Karen, when I married her, 20:58 she had, well is it 2,200? 21:01 She was blind without her glasses 21:05 and I had these visions that during the time of trouble. 21:08 I'd be leading her through the hills 21:09 if she lost her glasses. 21:14 She went to have this Lasik surgery now, 21:16 just about perfect vision. 21:17 She doesn't wear glasses or contacts anymore 21:19 and now I have got glasses. 21:21 Isn't that, that's not fair, is it? 21:24 So this man goes to the doctor after years of not seeing. 21:28 He has surgery, virtually blind, now he could see, 21:30 he's so excited, he goes and sees 21:32 the doctor every few weeks, 21:33 he takes a stack of business cards, 21:34 he goes through the subway on his way to work, 21:36 he said I always almost blind, 21:37 this doctor gave me my sight, I was always almost blind, 21:40 this doctor gave me back my sight, you got to see him. 21:41 Everybody with glasses, he gives those to. 21:44 Why does he do that? 21:45 He is so happy that he's got his sight, 21:48 he wants everyone else to have it. 21:50 If you have eternal life, you want to tell people, 21:54 Amen. Amen 21:56 Bible tells us in Second Kings Chapter 7 verse 9, 22:01 those lepers found that incredible treasure 22:04 and they began to hoard it and bury it 22:07 and one of them came to his senses 22:08 and he said today is the day of good news 22:10 and we hold our peace. 22:12 If we tarry till the morning light, 22:14 some mischief will come upon us, come now 22:16 that we may go and tell the kings household, 22:18 this is a day of good news. 22:21 All beggars lay out of the gate, 22:22 desiring the crumbs would fall from our table 22:26 while we argue among ourselves. 22:28 Eternal life. What a message. 22:32 But you know ancient is real like modern is real, 22:35 they did not have assurance. 22:39 And so here's a lawyer, 22:40 he spends all his time studying the word 22:41 and he doesn't know how to get eternal life. 22:46 Very basic thing. 22:48 He said Lord what must I do that I have, 22:50 can have eternal life? 22:52 Now what does Jesus say what is written in the law, 22:54 now don't miss that. 22:55 The answer to eternal life is in what is written. 23:00 God has given us the answer. 23:03 If you read what is written, you'll find the answer. 23:06 Christ is the word, Jesus is life 23:08 and He's the bread of life, He's the word made flesh, 23:12 it is written and He's saying to the lawyer 23:14 whose full time occupation is studying the word 23:17 and yet he doesn't know where to get eternal life? 23:20 Few things are more pathetic than a person 23:23 who is full time employed and telling others about Jesus 23:26 and eternal life who himself does not know 23:28 how to get eternal life. 23:32 And this lawyer is asking Jesus and He says 23:36 it's in the word and then He also refers into the law. 23:40 You know there are couple of occasions 23:41 where somebody specifically said to Jesus, 23:44 what must I do that I can have eternal life? 23:46 The rich young ruler came to him 23:47 and he said what is written in law 23:49 What are the commandments? 23:53 Now don't miss this. 23:56 We're saved by grace 23:57 but when we're aved by grace, 23:59 God gives us new hearts and He wants us to obey Him. 24:02 Obedience is not legalism. 24:06 Do not ever be ashamed of telling people 24:09 that God wants us to turn from our sins and obey Him. 24:13 And so He directs him and He says what is written in the law. 24:15 Well, He summarizes the Ten Commandments 24:17 and you know, this is what Jesus did for the rich young ruler. 24:20 He summarized the Ten Commandments, 24:23 and here He summarizes the Ten Commandments 24:25 and He says, you should love the Lord your God, 24:28 I'm in verse 27, with all your heart, with all your soul, 24:30 with all your strength, with all your mind 24:32 and love your neighbor as yourself. 24:34 This is the essence of the great love, the moral quote, 24:37 the Ten Commandments is to love the Lord with all your heart 24:40 and love your neighbor. 24:43 And if you really love God and really love your neighbor, 24:45 you'll be keeping the Ten Commandments. 24:48 You cannot explain to me a rational reason 24:51 why you'd break the Ten Commandments, 24:52 while you really love the Lord with all your heart 24:54 and love your neighbor as yourself. 24:58 And so Jesus said you have answered correctly, 25:00 do this and you'll live. 25:03 Well, that seems too simple, 25:04 He needed to make it more complicated. 25:07 Well, I can understand what it means the love of God, 25:09 but you know, its very hard to tell who our neighbor is. 25:13 And so he fell kind of sheepish when Jesus said 25:15 you have answered your own question. 25:17 So he said well, but who is my neighbor 25:20 Verse 29, and I think it's interesting the Bible, 25:23 it says love your enemies 25:25 and then it says love your neighbors. 25:28 Is that because our neighbors are often our biggest enemies? 25:33 You notice that the children of Israel 25:35 often had more stress and grief from their own family 25:42 than they did from the Pagans around them. 25:44 Who was it that betrayed Joseph? His brothers. 25:48 Who was it that rebelled against David? 25:50 His son. Who tried to kill David? 25:53 King Sol, his king. 25:55 You go through the Bible and you'll find 25:57 that it was the northern kingdom killing the southern kingdom 25:59 that did more damage than the Philistines 26:01 were the Ammonites, or Edomites, or Moabites. 26:05 And we can get distractive fighting among ourselves 26:08 and forget what the real mission is. 26:11 That's what the Bible says, love your enemy 26:13 and then it says love your neighbor, 26:14 your enemy is often your neighbor. 26:20 Who is my neighbor? 26:22 Well, Jesus then illustrates with a parable. 26:24 A certain man will identify in a moment, 26:27 he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho 26:31 and he fell among thieves who stripped him of his clothing, 26:36 wounded him and departed leaving him half dead. 26:41 Now here Christ begins to relate an actual event 26:43 and it's filled with significance, it. 26:45 it's an allegory of salvation. 26:46 This man is going from Jerusalem, 26:48 that's the place of worship, Jerusalem, 26:51 city of peace down to Jericho that was a city 26:54 that was cursed by Joshua. 26:57 He's going from the mountains to the valley, 27:01 from above sea level to below sea level, 27:03 from the city of God, from the church to Vegas, 27:06 that's what it amounts to. 27:09 Jericho was were all- that's where 27:10 Zacchaeus had headquarters, right? 27:13 The chief of the publicans is where all the caravans stopped. 27:16 Ah, there was one perpetual hoot and he going down in Jericho. 27:22 And he's got his back to God, 27:24 maybe he has been raised in the church 27:27 and he's on his way from the place of worship down 27:31 and on his way he falls among thieves. 27:36 The Bible says the devil is a thief and a robber, 27:40 who beat him half to death, strip him, 27:44 one reason they take his clothing 27:46 is because of course clothing is a symbol 27:48 for righteousness in the Bible. 27:50 The devil after he met Adam and Eve, 27:52 he left them naked too, didn't he? 27:56 People used to hide their money in their clothes. 27:59 I have a friend who's a thief in Chihuahua, Mexico. 28:02 He was baptized after that, 28:05 but he said when he robbed people 28:06 he'd also takes their clothes from them 28:08 for a couple of reasons, 28:09 one they were less inclined to chase after him. 28:13 Two, they often hid their money in their clothes. 28:15 Bible times, they did not carry credit cards, 28:18 it was not a cashless society and so you, 28:20 people would sow their money 28:21 in different parts of their clothing, 28:23 so they took their clothes. 28:24 So here's this man, he's laying there virtually naked, 28:27 severely wounded, he cannot help himself 28:30 and he's dying, he's fallen. 28:35 You know the Bible describes 28:37 the condition of man as the fall. 28:39 Adam and Eve fell. 28:43 And so into this situation some players wonder 28:48 and as we read on, it tells us. 28:50 Now by chance, 28:51 I think this is an example of Jesus incorporating humor 28:54 because nothing happens by chance 28:55 with God, the irony of it. 28:59 Now by chance, a certain priest came down the road 29:02 and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 29:09 Now you can't really blame him that much. 29:14 Have you ever gotten to this scene of a crime 29:16 or someone who has just been mugged? 29:19 And you can see that it is just happened. 29:21 instinctively, one of the natural responses is, 29:24 this is a recent crime, the perpetrator is not far away 29:28 which means I could be next. 29:31 And the priest seeing that he looked around, 29:34 he thought I'm going to get out of here, 29:35 I'm going to skid out, 29:38 so he wasn't as concerned 29:39 with his friend's injury as his own welfare. 29:44 He would not risk himself for even 29:46 one of his own church members. 29:47 This is a priest whose job was to shepherd the flock 29:54 and really all he thinks about it, it's his own interest. 29:59 Well, our son Daniel is in the Marines by his choice 30:05 and praise God he was in Iraq 30:07 and he made it safely back from Iraq. 30:10 Couple of weeks ago, we went camping together, 30:13 isn't that terrible? 30:14 He comes back from spending months in the desert of Iraq 30:16 and I take him camping in the desert. 30:19 Ah, dad, you wanna go camping? 30:21 Oh, sure, where are you going? 30:22 We're going off to desert. 30:24 We gonna ride around on four wheelers 30:26 and he's you know, he's a driver 30:27 of one of these six by sixes in Iraq. 30:29 Anyway, you know, he was telling us some stories 30:31 and one of the things if they beat 30:34 into the marines is not only, 30:38 you know, learning how to defend yourself 30:39 and operate your weapons, 30:41 but they, they hammer into the marines a heroic attitude. 30:45 Some of the marines behave as heroes 30:47 not because they're heroes but 30:48 but because they are very thoroughly programmed 30:51 that if your buddy is hurt, 30:52 even if you get killed, you go get him. 30:56 They're trained to sacrifice to save each other. 30:59 They don't even think twice. 31:02 With God, that we all felt that way for our brothers. 31:06 Often Christians will leave the wounded behind 31:09 because we're more concerned about ourselves 31:11 or its inconvenient. 31:13 So the priest, he even changes lanes 31:18 when he passes, barely glances in rear view mirror. 31:22 It could also be, I'm not sure 31:24 it doesn't tell us but you know 31:26 the religious leaders in Jesus day, 31:28 actually believed that bad things happen to bad people 31:33 because they're getting what they deserve. 31:35 And he may have been thinking 31:37 well, I don't want to interfere with providence 31:39 because this man may, he probably did something wrong 31:41 and his Karma's catching up with him 31:43 and if God wants to save him, God will save him. 31:46 But this is the providence of God, 31:48 so he goes on down the road. 31:50 Then the next character comes 31:51 and Jesus goes on to say, likewise a Levite, 31:55 verse 32, when he arrived at the place, 31:58 he came and he looked, he evidently paused, 32:02 but then he passes by on the other side. 32:05 He at least stopped and probably offered a prayer. 32:09 Well, this is terrible? How did this happen? 32:14 You know, I'm ruing the day that I ended up 32:20 in the city of Sacramento because I hate traffic. 32:23 You know, I came from-- 32:24 Karen and I was pastoring a church 32:26 with the hundred members in Covelo, population 15. 32:31 You heard of a one horse town, 32:34 Covelo's horse didn't have a saddle, 32:36 little town, people stop in the middle of road 32:39 and visit with each other and just drive around. 32:41 You ever have been in towns like that? 32:44 Then you go to Sacramento, they get 24 hour day 32:46 traffic reports and so often interstate five 32:49 and interstate 80 get clocked and you think 32:51 oh, there's must some accident up there 32:53 and somebody is off the road changing the tyre. 32:56 And everybody slows down and call it 32:58 rubbernecking, you know what I am talking about. 33:00 Everyone slows down, it's like we, 33:02 we offer the salute of sympathy, 33:06 oh, should be glad it's not me, 33:07 so we slow down out of respect. 33:11 We think there's some virtue at looking at somebody 33:14 who's suffering instead of doing anything for them. 33:16 Oh, sorry. 33:19 But we all slow down it's not implied to drive quickly 33:21 by somebody who's broken down. 33:26 You know, I'm really concerned about something 33:29 I have seen happened to me. 33:32 When I first became a Christian, I was very sympathetic 33:36 and empathetic about hitchhikers because see, 33:39 I spent many, many hours, probably days standing 33:44 in the side of the road begging for a ride. 33:48 Anyone out there, done this before. 33:52 No, I'm not telling you to feel bad 33:54 for not picking up hitchhikers 33:56 but I remember making some foolish vows 33:58 where I'd be there eight hours 33:59 and I'd pray for a ride, and I say Lord, 34:01 if you give my ide, I promise if I ever get a car, 34:04 I'll pick up every hitchhiker I see. 34:07 Be careful what you promise. 34:08 Let me just tell you right now. 34:12 But you know, I've tried after I got my first car, 34:14 I'd get to an on ramp on some interstate, 34:16 there'll be 12 people there in Southern California 34:18 asking for a ride, I'd try getting them 34:20 all with their dog in my Volkswagen. 34:22 Well, I mean, I really cared back then 34:25 because I knew how it's felt. 34:26 I empathize with them. 34:29 But then as the Lord blessed, and I got better cars 34:32 I became more discriminating. 34:36 And I started being more selective in who I've picked up. 34:38 Well I am not going very far, 34:40 you know, it doesn't make sense to pick them up, 34:41 or that guy doesn't look like he's had a bath in a while 34:44 and this upholstery is still clean. 34:49 And then I got to where I have been in a hurry 34:50 and I would say well, I don' t have time to pick him up 34:52 but I'll pray for him as I go by. 34:55 "Lord, please give him a ride". 34:58 So like James said, you pray be warmed and filled 35:01 and you don't do anything practical for their needs, 35:04 so maybe the Levite stopped and he prayed and said, 35:06 look I've got your license, 35:07 I'll call 888 when I get to Jericho 35:10 but he didn't do anything. 35:13 Now after two of the most prominent church members 35:16 go by this man and they don't help. 35:19 Put yourself in his shoes for a minute? 35:22 He's laying there, struggling to breathe, broken ribs, 35:26 one eye swollen shut, maybe broken bones, 35:29 they beat him half to death, half dead, 35:31 that describes the sinner. 35:34 We have fallen among thieves, we have been stripped, 35:37 we've gonna robbed, we'r half dead 35:38 and we're dying. 35:40 We're under a death sentence. 35:42 He's laying there, probably praying 35:46 and then he sees the pastor come by 35:48 and he thinks praise the Lord and he keeps going. 35:54 And then he's dehydrated, his lips are parched, 35:57 he sees the birds are just starting to circle 36:01 and then the Levite comes by. 36:03 Oh, praise the Lord and he stops, 36:05 ha, come on and he keeps going, 36:08 See he offer him a prayer, but he keeps going. 36:13 Then it says a certain Samaritan, 36:15 now I've got to stop you, 36:16 you have to understand this. 36:20 It's an understatement to say that Samaritans 36:23 and Jews did not like each other. 36:27 Think Palestinian and Israelite and that's still doesn't cover. 36:32 If you were a religious Jew and you lost your temper, 36:36 you wanted to curse someone out, 36:37 you would say, you publican, 36:41 you demon-possessed Samaritan, 36:44 and then people would go ooh, 36:46 he told it, that's the one of the worst things you could do. 36:49 It was so bad in the time of Christ 36:52 that the religious leaders had a law 36:54 that if the shadow of a Samaritan fell on you, 36:57 you're unclean. 36:58 That's why, the apostles, they said to Jesus, 37:03 when they were going through Sychar, they said, 37:05 "you stay here by the well, 37:06 we've got to go through the Samaritan town 37:08 and we've got to buy some food, 37:09 but we don't want you to risk contamination." 37:12 And they come back, and he's talking 37:14 to a Samaritan women no less. 37:17 Her shadow well over him. 37:20 I can see it now in some Samaritan village 37:22 when the Jews went shopping about 5:00 in the afternoon, 37:24 they probably had a good time, 37:25 huh, huh, get to shadow. 37:28 And the Jews are trying to stay clean. 37:30 They're hating each other 37:32 and they would never miss an opportunity 37:35 to get even or to hurt someone. 37:39 Constant terrorism going on 37:40 between the Samaritans and the Jews. 37:42 And then it says here in the story, 37:47 but a certain Samaritan as he journey came to where he was. 37:50 Now can you picture this? 37:53 That man's laying there buzzards are closing their circle, 37:56 he's drifting in and out of consciousness. 37:59 The head elder and the pastor have gone by 38:01 and he's praying. 38:02 And around the bend comes 38:04 a Samaritan with his donkey, 38:06 no witnesses and this Samaritan stops. 38:11 He probably looks to the right, left wondering 38:12 where the thieves are and this wounded man thinks 38:14 he was wondering will there be any witnesses, 38:17 I'm gonna finish him off. 38:19 And he thinks this is not good 38:22 and as the Samaritan comes up to the man, 38:24 he's probably trying to crawl away with all those strength 38:26 he's got left, groaning, but listen to what it says, 38:30 he doesn't hurt him. 38:33 It says when he saw him, he had compassion on him. 38:40 You know what compassion is? 38:43 It's combined with the word pathos, 38:46 feeling for empathy, sympathy. 38:52 Compassion is not the same as pity. 38:54 When the Levite stopped and offered a prayer that was pity. 38:58 Compassion is different. 39:00 I like to use the illustration, it's true story. 39:03 There was an accident in San Francisco 39:06 where a trolley car pinned a pedestrian. 39:10 And all these crowd of rubberneckers 39:12 stopped to look and this man was caught 39:15 underneath the chassis, greasy street car 39:19 and he was bleeding and he was injured. 39:22 Then some people leaned over 39:23 and looked underneath and said 39:24 we called for the emergency vehicles, help is on the way. 39:28 Some even got down on their hands and knees 39:31 and they looked at the man, keep an eye on him. 39:33 He's there trembling, one man in a business suit 39:37 got down on his belly and did the combat crawl, 39:40 went underneath the greasy chassis of this truck, 39:43 got right up to the man's ear, put his hand on him 39:47 and said in his ear, I'm gonna stay here with you, 39:50 you're going to be okay and someone illustrated 39:53 this is the difference between pity and compassion. 39:57 Pity looks down, compassion gets down. 40:02 I'm so thankful that Jesus did not just look down 40:05 at our world that was lost but He got down, 40:07 He became one of us to save us. 40:09 The Bible says He went to him, light shown in the prison, 40:13 God comes to us in our lost condition. 40:16 He does not wait for us to save ourselves, 40:18 He comes to us when we're helpless. 40:21 He went to him. 40:24 And He goes on to say, 40:27 he bandaged his wounds, 40:30 pouring on oil and wine 40:33 and he set him on his own animal. 40:35 I want to pause. Those are all symbols. 40:37 First of all you know who the thief is. 40:40 Who's the thief in the story? 40:42 Say, who is the man that fell among thieves? 40:47 Me? You? 40:51 Have you been beat up by the devil? 40:52 Has he wounded you? Have you fallen? 40:57 You know the Bible says 40:58 he's able to keep you from fallen, 41:00 but we've all fallen. 41:02 Has he stripped you of your dignity, your righteousness? 41:06 All of us are like filthy rags, left half dead, 41:09 we're under a death sentence. 41:12 And then who is the good Samaritan, that's Jesus. 41:16 See, Samaritans were hated by the Jews 41:18 because they were part Jewish. 41:20 They embrace some of the Jewish religion 41:22 and then they had some relation, 41:23 some of the blood of the ten tribes 41:25 mingled with the Syrian blood, 41:27 they were sort of half breeds. 41:30 And you know, that's what Jesus is. 41:32 Except Jesus isn't 50-50, 41:33 Jesus is a 100 percent God and 100 percent man. 41:36 I can't comprehend it friends, 41:38 but that's what the Bible teaches. 41:41 And He says now, he bandages his wounds, 41:43 you think he had a first aid box on his donkey, 41:46 you know, what I think he did, 41:48 He took His own clothing and He ripped into strips, 41:51 a symbol of the righteousness of Christ. 41:55 He poured him the wine, 41:57 a symbol of the blood of the covenant, 41:59 and the oil, symbol of the Holy Spirit. 42:04 And the man then was too weak to propel himself, 42:07 so He puts Him on his own beast, 42:09 the beast in the Bible is the symbol of strength, 42:11 through the strength of the ox, 42:13 there is much in grace. 42:16 And then He takes him to the inn. 42:18 What do you think the inn would represent? 42:22 It's a church. 42:23 After the Lord saves people, He takes them to the inn. 42:26 Inns, back then were not chains and franchise, 42:28 they were mom and pop organizations. 42:31 They were cottage industries. 42:33 Suppose to be like a family, takes him to the inn. 42:36 He personally cares for him, He gets him stabilized 42:41 and then He commits the care of this man 42:44 to the innkeeper and his family. 42:47 You know, Jesus discipled us in how to reach others 42:51 and He said As the Father sent me, so send thy you. 42:54 Now I've given you out an example, 42:55 I've got you started, I'm going, 42:57 I'll send the Holy Spirit, you take care of him. 43:00 This is the whole story of the Gospel here, amen. Amen. 43:03 And then you know what He says to the innkeeper. 43:07 No, I don't want to tell you that yet. 43:09 I want to focus on this point. 43:16 Matthew Chapter 25, you don't have to turn, 43:20 trust me it's there. 43:24 In the great judgment day, Jesus said He separates, 43:29 the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats 43:32 and He declares to the save the sheep, 43:34 I was hungry and You fed me, 43:36 I was thirsty, You gave me drink, 43:39 I was naked and You clothe me, 43:41 I was a stranger and You took me in, 43:43 I was sick or in prison and You came to me 43:46 and they'll say Lord, 43:47 when did we see You in this conditions. 43:49 He says as much as you did it 43:50 to one of the least of these you did it to Me. 43:54 You notice, he doesn't say enter into the joy of the Lord, 43:57 because you kept all my commandments. 44:00 How do they show they're keeping His commandments, 44:01 by the loving their fellowmen. 44:04 Then he declares to the lost. 44:06 I was hungry, you didn't feed me, 44:07 I was thirsty, you didn't give me drink, 44:09 I was naked or stranger or in prison or sick 44:12 and you did not minister on to me 44:14 and they'll say Lord, when. 44:15 He said and as much as you did not do it 44:17 to the least of these my brethren, 44:18 you did not do it me. 44:20 Depart in everlasting fire, 44:22 prepared for the devils and his angels. 44:25 We're going to be judged by how we love each other. 44:27 Now look at these six conditions that are described, 44:30 I was hungry, not only should Christians feed the hungry, 44:33 yeah, that means one-o-one, do we not know that? 44:36 But I gave you the bread of life. 44:39 I was thirsty, now like I should be kept 44:42 water to the thirsty, 44:43 that's so basic even the Pagans do that. 44:46 But we give them the living water. 44:49 I was naked and you gave me his robe of righteousness. 44:53 I was alienated from God, 44:55 I was a stranger and you made atonement, 44:57 you brought me to Him. 44:59 I was in prison by sin and you liberated me 45:02 through the Gospel that unlocks out chains. 45:05 I was sick, sin is described as a sickness 45:08 from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot 45:10 we're full of wounds and bruises 45:12 and putrefying sores, it's nauseating, 45:15 it's a sickness and we got the balm of Gilead, amen. 45:20 This is describing the ministry of the church 45:22 but it's more than that. 45:24 Those six conditions there 45:26 described the suffering of Jesus. 45:29 When Christ was on the cross, 45:31 he took all the suffering of humanity. 45:33 Was He hungry? Hadn't eaten in 24 hours. 45:37 Most of us don't go that long, do we? 45:40 Was He thirsty? He said He was. 45:44 Was he sick? 45:46 See how you feel after crucifixion 45:48 and being whipped with a cat of nine-tails 39 times twice, 45:53 beaten by soldiers. 45:56 Was He a stranger? 45:58 He came on to His own and they didn't know. 46:03 Was He in prison? 46:05 Can you imagine more perfect example of being in prison 46:08 and being suspended between heaven and earth 46:11 and nailed by your feet and your hands? 46:14 When Jesus was hanging on the cross, 46:16 He embraced all the suffering of humanity. 46:19 And He said as much as you have done it on to one 46:21 of the least of these, you have done it to me. 46:22 Think about this for a second. I'm almost done. 46:30 God is omnipresent, God is omnipotent, 46:35 God is all knowing omniscient. 46:37 I would like to add one sub category if you will allow me. 46:40 God is omnipathic, because God knows everything, 46:47 He feels everything. 46:49 Now another government tells us 46:50 that they feel our pain, right. 46:53 I have serious doubts about that. 46:57 But if God knows everything. 47:00 Does he know everything, everything? 47:03 Is there anything He doesn't know? 47:04 Is He aware of every tingling of every nerve, 47:08 fiber on the end of every hair on your body? 47:11 Does He feel when the sparrows are hungry? 47:14 He feels when the dog wags its tail 47:16 because you pet his head. 47:18 God feels everything. 47:20 How much pain do you think 47:21 the Lord is feeling now coming from this planet? 47:25 You and I can't comprehend it. 47:26 It just gives us brain meltdown. 47:29 How much God must be hurting? 47:31 He loves us so much 47:32 and there's so much suffering in this planet. 47:35 When Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, 47:37 so send I you" He has sent us out there to do everything 47:40 we can by relieving the physical suffering 47:42 of humanity by giving them the bread of life 47:45 and the living water and the balm of Gilead 47:46 and all those things that I've mentioned. 47:48 But He's also sent us out 47:50 to relieve the spiritual suffering, 47:52 physical and spiritual. 47:54 And whenever you do any good thing for anybody 47:58 and they feel better because you speak 48:00 a word of encouragement, because you smile at them, 48:02 because you take care of their practical needs, 48:04 because you help them with their spiritual needs. 48:06 Jesus said, as much as you've done it for them, 48:08 you've done it for me, because He feels the relief. 48:13 When you give water to a thirsty dog 48:16 and that dog is relieved. 48:17 Does the Lord feel that? 48:19 He's aware of every sensation in the cosmos. 48:21 This isn't pantheism friends 48:22 this is Biblical Christian theology. 48:25 You got that? 48:27 This is very clear, God knows everything. 48:29 Anything you and I do, 48:30 I used to think it's a metaphor 48:32 as much as you have done it for them 48:33 the least of these you've done if for me, that's nice. 48:35 It's not just a metaphor, it's true. 48:39 How many opportunities have we passed up 48:41 to make God feel better? 48:44 In our discouraged and suffering brothers and sisters 48:48 and even the creatures. 48:51 What a privilege, what an, wonderful privilege we have 48:55 to be followers of good and blessing in the world. 48:57 That's what He's called every Christian 48:59 to be and the more you're willing to give 49:01 of the goodness of God to others, 49:02 the Lord will give you to give. 49:05 He wants us to be conduits of blessing to the world. 49:09 Well, this Samaritan understood 49:10 that and he took care of this man's needs, 49:14 now think about it. 49:17 It was at his expense, 49:19 this man who was not even his friend, 49:21 his enemy, he loved him. 49:22 God loves us while we were yet sinners, 49:24 He died for us. 49:28 It was his wine, Jesus blood, 49:33 the Holy Spirit, the oil, his clothing, 49:36 he put him on his beast, he traded places, 49:37 he says I want you ride. 49:39 This is the Gospel, friends. 49:40 The Lord is saying, I'll trade places with you. 49:44 He goes to the end, He says I'll sleep on the floor, 49:46 you take the bed, you're sick. 49:48 He even pays out of His pocket 49:50 and then He tells the innkeeper, 49:53 I'm coming back. 49:56 Whatever you spend before I come back, 49:58 I'll repay you. 50:00 Do you hear the echoes of Jesus in that statement? 50:03 Amen. I'm coming back. 50:04 As the father sent me, so send I you, 50:07 the world's been beat up by the devil. 50:10 It might cost us something to take care of Him 50:12 until He comes back but He says He'll pay us, amen. 50:15 We'll have our reward. 50:17 This is the story of Gospel. 50:20 Some of you, everybody here fits in this story somewhere. 50:25 Some of us have been walking by those who're suffering. 50:29 Some of us have been beat up by the devil 50:33 and we're still on the ground half dead. 50:37 Some of us are doing 50:38 the ministry of a good Samaritan. 50:40 We're trying to be fountains of blessing 50:42 to all that we meet that are hurting. 50:46 And I like to begin by making very specific appeal. 50:50 We don't have any music or fanfare here, 50:52 but I think it's appropriate. 50:56 Some of you heard the truth in what I said 50:59 this morning, afternoon, 51:03 and you feel like you've been beat up 51:04 and stripped and robbed by the enemy 51:08 and you'd like to be restored, 51:10 you'd like to accept the wine of Christ blood 51:14 to heal your wounds, his robe of righteousness, 51:17 you'd like to have the Holy Spirit anoint you. 51:22 If there are some here who either have not surrendered 51:25 their lives to Jesus or maybe you did once 51:28 and you slipped away 51:30 and you like to return right now. 51:32 I'd like to invite you to stand. 51:34 We wanna have special prayer for you. 51:36 Don't worry about what anyone here might stand 51:38 or remain standing, you might think, 51:39 this is between you and God, amen. 51:42 We're all in this thing together. 51:43 Praise the Lord for these decisions. 51:45 There're some others, 51:46 you feel a struggle in your heart right now, 51:48 I always call people publicly, 51:50 Jesus died for you publicly, don't be ashamed. 51:56 You're feeling the struggle going on in your heart, 51:58 the Lord's asking you to return, 52:00 or come for the first time, 52:01 that's a battle between your devil and your Savior 52:05 and you have the tie breaking vote. 52:08 Vote for life. Come to Him now. 52:12 Some of you maybe even raised in the church 52:14 and you know you're not living for God. 52:17 You're still beat up by the enemy 52:20 and you'd like to instead of being down on the ground, 52:23 you'd like to be doing the work of the good Samaritan. 52:27 Come to Him now. Say, Lord here I am. 52:31 Are there others, I am just going 52:32 to extend this a moment longer. 52:33 Praise the Lord for these decisions. 52:36 Now I'd like to open it up, 52:38 those of us who'd like to do a better job 52:41 are being channels of blessing to this world that is hurting. 52:47 Let's ask God for His help. 52:55 Father in heaven, we thank You 52:59 for the message of Jesus in this parable, 53:02 that helps to encapsulate. 53:05 First of all, who is our neighbor? 53:07 Anybody who is hurting and helps us to see 53:11 what the plan of devil is, to humiliate, 53:14 to strip us of our dignity, our righteousness, 53:18 to take our lives, to rob us. 53:22 And then Lord we see the plan of Jesus to restore us, 53:25 to heal us, to tenderly care, 53:27 the compassion and love of the Lord 53:29 that He comes to us where we are. 53:31 Lord we're all in this story somewhere. 53:34 I pray You help us to identify 53:36 where we are and help us by your grace 53:40 to position ourselves as ministers of Christ. 53:45 Everyone of us to be sharing with the word 53:48 that's hurting not passing them by. 53:51 Lord, heal those that are beat up, 53:53 forgive those who've been indifferent. 53:57 And I pray Lord that You'd empower our churches 53:59 that we can be an inn that will care for the hurting 54:02 that replace within our hands. 54:05 Pour out Your Spirit on this camp meeting. 54:07 I pray that you will help us 54:09 to be aware of Christ presence 54:11 on the ground through these holy hours. 54:14 In His name we ask, amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17